Recruiters enjoy booming business

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Recruitment firms are having to do some recruiting of their own as the sector experiences a jobs boom.

The recruitment and human resources sector is the big winner in new job listings figures from Trade Me that suggest New Zealand's economy is starting to live up to its "rock star" billing.

Listings increased 21 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter and recruitment and HR was the fastest-growing sector, with a 45.7 per cent increase in jobs listed on the auction website.

Iain MacGibbon, the owner of recruitment firm Farrow Jamieson, said the industry was experiencing rapid growth and his firm was one of those looking to hire new staff.

"Probably the economy started improving about August, but it's taken until now for people to hear it from three or four sources to give them the confidence to invest in enlarging teams and starting projects," he said.

It was the first time in many years the entire recruitment industry was rising at the same time. "It's very difficult to find people out there and companies are recognising that and hiring more specialist staff."

MacGibbon said a surprising number of Australians were looking for New Zealand jobs.

Trade Me does not disclose the number of jobs listed on the site but says all the major centres had strong year-on-year growth in the first quarter.

Southland (up 41.3 per cent) had the strongest growth.

Listings were up 25.5 per cent in Wellington, 24.1 per cent in the Bay of Plenty, 23.9 per cent in Canterbury, 20.1 per cent in Hamilton and Auckland, and 19 per cent in Otago.

Only three of the 15 regions (Gisborne, Hawke's Bay and Manawatu/Whanganui) had listings growth of less than 10 per cent.

Trades and services (up 40.4 per cent), manufacturing and operations (up 35.8 per cent) and agriculture, fishing and forestry (up 34.0 per cent) were other sectors with big gains.

Despite the boom overall, the number of job listings reduced in the government and council sector (down 18.9 per cent), legal (down 18 per cent) and banking, finance and insurance (down 9.7 per cent).